Method of making bearings



W. A. KING A METHOD oF MAKING BEARINGS Filed April l 1922 P 'shee1s-sneez 1 W. A. .KING

METHODQF MAKING BEARINGS l Filed April l abbo/wwe@ Patent Nov. 25, 1924.

WALTER A. KING, or FERNDALE, mroHIGAN, nsslsivoa or ONE-HALF 'ro FREDERICK y n. Davies,l or FERND'ALE, MICHIGAN.

METHOD F MAKI'FTG- BEARINGS.

To all whom t may concer/t: I

Be it known that, I, WALTER A. KING, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ferndale, in the county of Oaklland and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Bearings, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention -relates to a method of producing bearings, bushings and the like and my invention aims to expeditiously and economically produce bearings on a large scale `with'minimum labor and apparatus 15, the bearings being perfect as yto size and fabrication, so that the bearings may be interchangeable and possess characteristics ada ting Ithe bearings for general use.

y' invention and advantages gained thereby will be hereinafter more fully described and thenclaimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein .Figure 1 is an end View of a piece of flat stock that may be rolled, pressed or otherwise shaped to form a semi-cylindri- 4 cal member constituting the body of a bearing part;

Fig. 2 is a similar Viewl of the piece of stock after having a semi-cylindrical shape 3o imparted thereto;`

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same showing how the piece of stock, in stripform, is sawed, severed or otherwise divided to provide bearing parts'of desired length; Fig. l is an end View of a bearing part or body provided with a'liner of Babbitt or other soft'metal; l

` Fig. 5 is an end view of a roughing, finishing and burnishing apparatus by which final steps of my method are carried into effect;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same showing bearing parts being operatedupon by the apparatus;

of` a plurality of devices constituting an apparatus by which steps of my method may be put into practice;

Fig. 8 is an end view ofV preliminary 5@ forming rolls for a iat piece of stock;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the line-upl suitable source of energy.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of final forming rolls whichimpart a semi-cylindrical shape to a piece of-stock that has been partially formed by the rolls shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an end view of a trimming device employed for Atrimming edges relative to the center line and outer radius of a semi-cylindrical bearing body 'ormemberg Fig. l1 is an end view of an acid ap plying or swabbing device by which the inner wall of a bearing body or member may be prepared for tinning;

Fig. 12 is an end vview of a tinning device; through which. a bea-ring body or member is moved and prepared to receive babbitt or a similar metal;

Fig. 13 is an cud view of a Babbitt tank 'por babbitting device by which a lining of babbitt may be applied to the, inner wall of the bearing body or-member; and

F ig, 14 is an end view of a cooling de- .vice by which a babbitted bearing body or member may be cooled and chilled.

In order that my method may be understood, I endeavor to show, somewhat diagrammatically, the line-up of various devices by which the various operations or steps of my method may be carried into effect, but I desire it to` be understood that the various steps or operations -finvolved in my method may be performed in connection with apparatus', other than that shown, especially the production of babbitted bearing members or parts that may. be` operated upon to provide finished articles.

Considering the production of such an unfinished article, reference will first be had to Figs. 7 to 14 inclusive showing the apparatus for operating upon a metallic blank or a Hat piece of stock which is brought to proper shape andform, as shown in Figs. I to fl inclusive.

First, I -select a comparatively clean strip of metal l and feed it between preliminary formingrolls 2 and S-supported by suitable housings 4 and driven from a The preliminary forming rolls 2 and 3 impart a trough shape to the flat piece of metal 1 and from` these preliminary forming rolls the partially formed strip passes between final shaping rolls and 6, arranged in housings' -7 and adapted to be diiven fi'om a suitable source of energy. These final shaping rolls impart a cylindrical shape to the strip of metal and form a bearing body or member, as shown iii Fig.' 2, and irrespective of whatradius-the inne-r'wall 8 of the bearing body may have after passing between the rollsvand 6, said rolls form the outer wall 9 of the bearing body to approximately the radiuswhich said body/ will have in the finished article. I

' The product from the final shaping rolls shown in Fig. 9 may be a bearing body of 'desired length or it may be a long semicylindrioal strip, as shown in Fig; 3, which ymay be sawed or otherwise divided, as at 10 to provide a plurality of bearing bodies which may be separately placed .in the trimming device shown in Fig. 10 or follow one another thro-ugh said trimming device. The trimming device includes a core 11, a gauge sleeve or member 12, bolts 13 or other supporting means for the core.

11 and the gauge member v12, an end plate 14 to hold cutters relative to upper and lower die blocks`15 and 1G respectively of the trimming device. The die blocks cooperate with the gauge sleeve or member 12 in providing aserni-cylindrical opening or passage 17 to receive bearing bodies which ared adapted to have the edges and outer wall-tliereof trimmed to acenter line or axis of the bearing liody,so that the bearing bodyhas its edges 18 and its outer wall 9 true to form as in the finished article.

Thus far I have produced a semi-cylindrical bearing body or part that is now ready for babbitting, but before further y proceeding I desire to point out that the three operations just performed to produce the beaiing bodymay be in some instances performed by a single operation and with` an apparatus or devices other than those del' scribed. Nevertheless, I believe that my `method .of producing the bearin body may be expeditiously and economical y put, into practice when `a large production is, necessary.

Considering the fourth and other steps of my method, I subject the inner wall 8 of the bearing body to a treatment of acid to preparel it to receive Babbittor other soft metal and such treatment may be accomplished by a swabbing roll or wheel 19' made of felt, leather or any suitable material that will wipe the inner Wall ,8 of the Vbearing body, either by saidv rollbeing rotated by power against the wallS or the bearing body shifted under the roll causing it to revolve and apply acid to the Wall A8. 'The acid may .besupplied to the swabbing roll from a tank or any suitable source and the acid is yadapted to prepare` the wall to` receive tinwithin a tank 20, shown in Fig.'

12.v The tinning tank 20 has a semi-cylindrical passage 21 which permits the swabbed bearing body to pass therethrough 'and receive tinon its inner Wall 8 andv from this tinning tank the bearing'body is shifted into 'a semi-cylindrical passage 22 of aBabbitt tank 23 where the bearing body is providedwith a Babbitt lining 24Lon its inner wall 8, as shown in Fig. 4.

From the Babbitt tank 23 the babbitted bearing'body is shifted into'a semi-cylin- A.diical,passageQt of a cooling or chilling or present an inner hardened bearing Wall of greater density than that part of the babbitt adjacent the bearing body, and in order to 'insure a good `bond between the bearing bodyand the babbitt, prevent-oxidization and shrinkage, and obtain as dense and close grained .babbitt`as possible, I arf range the tinning, babbitting and2 chilling devices as close' together as s'siblev and with thescdevices provided with suitable temperature gauges', it is possible to regu-'- late the fifth, sixth and seventh` steps of my method.

After the babbittedbearing body being chilled or hardened there may b e Babbitt metal on the outer wall of the bearing body, so I may provide means for removing the Babbitt metal from the outer wall of the bearing body, then again IA may provide mea-ns for trimming or reducingthe outer wallI of the` bearing body so that it will have a radiuscorrespondingfto that of a completed article, Itv is apparent however, that by the first Vseven steps of my method YI may produce a bearing for general' purposes. For instance, a bearing where the outer wall of the body may be irregular so long as the inner wall theieo-fisJ of suoli form that a shaft lor other rotary member` may be journaled in it. I

VAs pointed -out in the beginning, the hearing body may be instrip form divided as shown in F ig. 3 33nd beforesuch division it is possible to feed the strip through the tinning, babbitting and chilling devices andafterwards divide the stripto provide individual bearing bodies. It is in the sixth and seventh steps of my method that a bearing body may be practically completed, as in the babbitting operation suitable runy Lerma() ners O'uides and otherdevices ma be employed for limiting 'the thickness yof a Babbittliningaapplied to the bearing body,rv-

Such lining maybe a thousandth part of an inch oversize so that when cooled. and chilled it will automatically' set or densify to required size, and thus provide a finished article, -eXcept where it is necessary that i suchbabbitted bearing part have oil grooves or the like. v Assuming, however, that the product resulting from the seven steps or operations is somewhat unfinished I make provision for further finishing the product so 4that it is absolutely true in 'all respects to`a required size of bearing parts, permitting of two such parts being placed together to formy a complete annular bearing or bearing parts interchanged orplaced in machines etc., without selection.'

Reference will now be had to Figs. 5 and G'showing an apparatus,iwhichin its `preferred form, includes a channelor U-shaped body 30 having an outer guide-wall 31 true to form s0 thatlined bearing bodies may beshifted thereon, end to end, and forced through the apparatus. and against roughing, finishing and burnishing instrumentalities in contradistinction to such' instrumentali-ties being driven or forced against the bearing body. The side Walls 32 of the guide body 30 have-the' ends thereof out away to provide horizontally disposed shoulders or supports 3 3 for cross heads 34 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the walls 32, as at 35. The cross heads 34 are interchangeable and each cross lieadthas a middle portion 36 provided with a longitudinally disposed holder 37 with the holders of said cross heads extending towards each other in substantial longitudinal alinement. Mounted on the holders 37 and *retained Vthereon by screws 38er otherfastening means are interchange able'roughing` and finishing tools 39 and 40.

The roughing tool 39 is on the holder at the forward end of the apparatus and is in the form of 'a' sleeve having its outerend provided with a roughing. head 4l 4presenting va semi-circular cutting ortrimming edge in opposed-relationto the drive wall '3l and when a bearing body or art is forced between the wall 31 and' the ead 41 tliejroughing head encounters the Babbitt 4lining 24 of the bearing body or part and removes any rough surfaces fromA the surface of the babbitt. Eventually the bearing bodyor part reaches thefinishing tool 40 atthe rear end of the apparatus and this tool has a fine' .cutting or finishing edge or head 42 which operates upon the surface of the babbitt to finish the same true to form, at leastwithin a ten thousandths part of an inch. i

' The finishing tool 40 differs from ,the

annular burnishing portions 43, 44 and 45' stepped in diameter, so that the annular portion 43 may initially burnish the sur face of the babbitt, the annular portion 44 further burnish the babbitt surface, and the annular portion 45 `finish such burnishing. IVith-,each annularl portion performing a fractional part of the burnishin'g or bnoacliing to be `done it is possible to gradually reduce orfinish the surface of a babbitt so that as each bearing body or part is ejected from the apparatus it is true to form and a perfect article. In case such, article is to have oil grooves or the like the operation of providing such oil grooves form before the bearing bodyor part enters the apparatus. In this apparatus there has been vperformed three operations or steps of my method, namely, rough finishing, fine finishing, and burnishing or breaching and with the roughing and finishing tools 39 and 40 of proper size and accurately set in the ap par'atus there is no guesswork whatsoever as to the ultimate size of the article ,delivered by the apparatus.

What I claimis 1. In the art of producing bearings, bush- 'ngs,'and the like, a method for the pro#Y .2. The method called for in claim l, and

an additional step of chilling the lined bearing body to densify the lining material 3. In the art of producing bearings, bushing etc., a method of producing such article which consists in providing a semi-cylindricalbearing body with a lining and immediately chilling the bearing to densify the lining thereof, said bearing body being of suflicient length to permit of the bearing body being severed to provide a plurality of individual bearing bodies. y

4. A method for ,the production of lined half bearings which-method consists in producing semi-cylindrical lined bearing bodies having the outer walls corresponding to that of the complete article and 'an inner lining wall of less radius than the inner wall of the complete article, and then place the bearing body in a horizontal position with 4its lining uppermost and forcing the lined bearing body under and against the nishing instrumentalityto removea portion of the lining to increase the radius of the inner wall of the lined bearing body to correspond to that of a complete article.

5. A method for nishing half lined hearings .wherein said bearings have outer to the finished inner-walls t0 Complete half 10 walls corresponding to that of iinished bearbearings. i

ings, which method lconsists in forcing the In `testim0ny whereof I aHiX my signahalf lined bearings, end to end, through a ture in presence of two witnesses.

guide having a Wall which maintains the shape of the outer walls of such bearings, y ALTR'A. KING. said guide having an inner Wall engaging iVitnesses: the lined Walls of the bearings and reduc- E. `W. DAVIES,

ing and finishing such Wallis to correspond KARL H. BUTT-11D 

